ISLAMABAD: Three sessions were held on the second day of the two day International Iqbal Conference on the topic of “Iqbal and Urdu”, organized by National Language Promotion Department, National History & Literary Heritage Division, Government of Pakistan, says a Press release.
Dr. Ayub Sabir, Dr. Tehseen Firaqi, Dr. Vila Syed (Egypt), Dr. Rauf Parekh, Dr. Asif Awan, Dr. Tahir Hameed Tanoli, Dr. Munawar Hashmi, Mehboob Zafar, Dr. Iftikhar Khokhar, Dr. Zeenat Afshan, Dr. Saira Batool, Dr. Bibi Ameena, Dr. Aslam Ansari, Dr. Najeeb Jamal, Dr. Anna Sova Rova (Russia), Dr. Arshad Sakhir Awan, Dr. Muhammad Asif, Dr. Qamar Iqbal, Dr. Farooq Adil, Dr. Farhat Abbas, Dr. Zahid Hasan Chughtai, Dr. Humaira Shahbaz, Adrees Azad, Dr. Rafi-ud-din Hashmi, Dr. Riaz Majeed, Dr. Zahid Munir Aamir, Dr. Haroon-ur-Rasheed Tabassum, Dr. Arshad Awaisi, Dr. Aslam Zia, Dr. Ghazi Ilm-ud-din, Dr. Abdur Rauf Rafiqui, Dr. Rashid Mateen, Dr. Sheeraz Zaid, Dr. Shahida Rasool, Ijaz-ul-Haq Ijaz and Dr. Abdul Aziz Sahir expressed their views during the conference.
Speakers from various walks of life, while addressing the conference, stated that Iqbal was a universal poet and philosopher. He used both Urdu and Persian poetry as a means to address the Islamic world. He brought honor for himself and the subcontinent through his Persian poetry and having earned a place for himself in Persian poetry, adopted Urdu as a means of poetical expression. Though his poetry, Allama Iqbal played a very constructive role in enhancing the richness of the Urdu language.
Shazia Akbar moderated the first session of the second day while Dr. Sadia Tahir and Dr. Sher Ali moderated the second and third sessions, respectively.
In his opening remarks, Director General NLPD, Dr. Rashid Hameed stated that the National Language Promotion Department is playing a very active role for the promotion of Urdu language and national unity through organizing such national and international conferences.
Dr. Ayub Sabir while speaking on the occasion, said that Iqbal chose Urdu, English and Persian to express himself but his Urdu poetry and prose exceeds others languages. He said that Iqbal’s poetry played an important role in the development of the Urdu language.
Dr. Rauf Parekh expressed the view that Iqbal gave a new meaning to the word “Lalah” and this accomplishment can only belong to a great poet that he introduced a new meaning and particular usage of a word.
Dr. Munawar Hashmi stated that Iqbal is recognized as ”Imam-e-Falsafa” in ‘Arab-o-Ajam” due to his philosophy of ”Khudi”.
Dr. Bibi Ameena Iqbal stated in her paper that Iqbal contributed to the richness of the Urdu language with such precious terms, for which Urdu language is grateful to this day.